Toe aeration appliance



Feb. 25, 1969 R, P. KURTH ETAL TOE AERATION APPLIANCE Filed Aug. 30, 1965 INVENTORS RAYMOND P. KURTH LEVON VARTAN IAN United States Patent 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The specification discloses a toe aeration appliance adapted to be worn in a shoe with a laterally extended base portion underlying a persons toes and with four integral, laterally spaced, upstanding toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions positioned between the five toes of a persons foot in a manner providing an optimum physical spacing, isolation, cushioning, moisture absorption, and aeration of the toes even though they are confined within a shoe. This is made possible by reason of the fact that the complete integral device is made of a readily compressible and collapsible, porous, foam, elastomeric material of a communicating cell type having a plurality of interconnecting air cells in air flow communication with exterior surfaces thereof and communicatingly dispersed and disseminated throughout the interior thereof whereby to provide a plurality of air flow and air circulation aeration tortuous passages extending completely therethrough.

This invention is, in essence, a toe aeration appliance which, when inserted between the toes of the foot, will have many and varied benefits that will he obviously apparent to those in the professions as well as to the layman.

More specifically, this invention is designed to fill a modern day need; to supply oxygen and remove moisture from the area in-between and around the toes of the foot. These conditions of a lack of oxygen and an excess of moisture are caused mainly by the fully closed shoe of modern day fashions; not to mention other causes which may create these conditions, such as certain types of illnesses.

The appliance, which can easily be placed between the toes of either the right or the left foot, will result in an almost immediate noticeable relief from the annoying itching caused mainly by the perspiration which has been trapped between the toes and will afford an improved cooling effect as the toes will be better aerated through the porous material used in the construction of the device.

The appliance should preferably be manufactured from foam rubber or latex foam or any such material or combination of materials that have the properties of being porous, pliable, absorbent, light in weight, and washable. It will be obvious that the appliance may be removed for sterilization and reuse.

As to the primary purpose of the toe aeration appliance: athletes foot fungi thrive in an atmosphere such as is found in a closed shoe, i.e., heat, moisture caused by perspiration, lack of proper air circulation. This appliance will serve to allay all of these conditions and to soothe the discomforts caused by them (such as itching, irritation, blisters and cracks) and at the same time will aid in the healing process by virtue of lessening the causes.

Furthermore, as the composition of the material to be used is so pliable, movement of the toes will not be impaired, and the appliance will be virtually unnoticed by the wearer. There should be little or no creeping of the appliance, as the toes will serve to lock it in place. No adhering or holding devices are necessary.

The appliance may easily be cut with a pair of scissors if the wearer desires to aerate only one or two of the toe spaces.

The following will explain the attached drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front view; FIG. 2 is an end view; and FIG. 3 is a front view in use.

This should serve to point out the extent of coverage the appliance will afford around the toes, encompassing the main and critical areas of perspiration and irritation regions, around as well as between the toes.

Generally speaking, the present invention comprises a toe aeration appliance, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, which comprises a laterally extended base portion 12 integrally provided with four generally similar, late-rally spaced, upstanding, toe separating and spacing projection portions 14 separated from each other by toe receiving recesses 16. It will be noted that the laterally extended base portion 12 has a little toe extension portion 18 at the right end thereof, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, and has a big toe extension portion 20 at the left end thereof, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, each extending beyond the corresponding outermost upwardly extending toe separating and spacing projection portion 14 and each of the proper lateral length to properly underlie and support the corresponding little toe 22 and big toe 24, respectively, shown in phantom in FIG. 3. In other words, the big toe extension portion 20 is longer than the litle toe extension portion 18 so as to provide the proper underlying support for said big and little toes, as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. Each of the intervening toes, designated by the common reference numeral 26, is adapted to be positioned within the three toe receiving recesses 16 between the four upwardly directed toe separating and spacing projection members 14 in the manner clearly shown in FIG. 3, which acts to spread the toes apart and properly aerate same by reason of the separation of the toes. Additionally, it should be noted that the toe separating and spacing projections 14, and the base portion 12, of the complete toe aeration appliance 10 are preferably made of a porous foam or sponge material, such as sponge or foam rubber, or the like, of the communicating cell type wherein a plurality of tortuous passages are effectively defined throughout the material of which the complete toe aeration appliance 10 is made. This provides for free circulation of air through the complete appliance 10 and thereby facilitates the aeration feature of the present invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A toe aeration appliance adapted to be mounted in partially toe-underlying and partially upwardly inserted relationship between toes of a foot within a shoe for providing optimum physical spacing, isolation, and cushioning of toes with respect to each other, moisture absorption from toe surfaces, and aeration of the toes, comprising a laterally extended continuous, non-interrupted base portion integrally provided with four generally similar, laterally spaced, upstanding, toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions separated from each other by three intervening upwardly open toe-receiving recesses with upper ends of each of said four toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions being of upwardly convex, rounded configuration and being completely free and independent of each other, the plurality thereof being non-interconnected at their tops, and independently defiectable during use and defining each of said three intervening toe-receiving recesses in a manner completely up wardly open and downwardly engageable by a corresponding different toe through the complete open top end thereof; said laterally extended base portion being provided with an additional integral little toe extension portion at a first lateral extreme end thereof extending laterally beyond the corresponding adjacent, outwardly extreme one of said four laterally spaced, upstanding toeseparating and toe-spacing projection portions a distance slightly greater than the width of a little toe whereby to be adapted to fully underlie a little toe in a shoe; said laterally extended base portion being also provided with an additional integral big toe extension portion at a second lateral extreme end thereof and extending laterally beyond the corresponding adjacent, outwardly extreme one of said four laterally spaced, upstanding, toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions a distance slightly greater than the width of a big toe whereby to be adapted to fully underlie a big toe in a shoe; said laterally extended base portion, said four laterally spaced, upstanding toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions, said integral little toe extension portion, and said integral big toe extension portion at opposite ends of said laterally extended base portion all being made of a readily compressible and collapsible, porous foam elastorneric material of a communicating cell type having a plurality of interconnecting air cells in air flow communication with exterior surfaces thereof and communicatingly dispersed and disseminated throughout the interior thereof whereby to provide a plurality of air flow and air circulation aeration passages extending completely therethrough.

2. A toe aeration appliance adapted to be mounted in partially toe-underlying and partially upwardly inserted relationship between toes of a foot within a shoe for providing optimum physical spacing, isolation, and cushioning of toes with respect to each other, moisture absorption from toe surfaces, and aeration of the toes, comprising a laterally extended continuous, non-interrupted base portion integrally provided with four generally similar, later- I ally spaced, upstanding, upwardly diverging, lateral-widthincreasing toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions separated from each other by three downwardly diverging, lateral width-increasing intervening upwardly open toe-receiving recesses, with upper ends of each of said four toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions being of upwardly convex, rounded configuration and being completely free and independent of each other, said four projection portions being non-interconnected at their tops, and independently defiectable during use and defining each of said three downwardly diverging, lateral width-increasing intervening toe-receiving recesses in a manner completely upwardly open and downwardly engageable by a corresponding ditferent toe through the complete open top end thereof; said laterally extended base portion being provided with an additional integral little toe extension portion at a first lateral extreme end thereof extending laterally beyond the corresponding adjacent, outwardly extreme one of said four laterally spaced, upstanding toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions a distance slightly greater than the width of a little toe whereby .to be adapted to fully underlie a little toe in a shoe; said laterally extended base portion being also provided with an additional integral big toe extension portion at a second lateral extreme end thereof opposite to the little toe extension portion at the opposite end thereof and extending laterally beyond the corresponding adjacent, outwardly extreme one of said four laterally spaced, upstanding, toe-separating and toespaoing projection portions a distance slightly greater than the width of a big toe whereby to be adapted to fully underlie a big toe in a shoe; said laterally extended base portion, said four laterally spaced, upstanding toe-separating and toe-spacing projection portions, said integral little toe extension portion, and said integral big toe extension portion at opposite ends of said laterally extended base portion all being made of a readily compressible and collapsible, porous foam elastorneric material of a communioating cell type having a plurality of interconnecting air cells in air flow communication with exterior surfaces thereof and communicatingly dispersed and disseminated throughout the interior thereof whereby to provide a plurality of air flow and air circulation aeration tortuous passages extending completely therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,247,748 7/1941 Cotton 128-588 2,451,906 10/1948 Berman 12826O 2,531,851 11/1950 Kiwad 128-153 2,593,767 4/1952 Kiwad 128-153 2,595,640 5/1952 Christopoulos 128153 2,868,197 1/1959 Murray 128153 2,888,016 5/ 1959 Lamater 128-260 2,949,112 8/1960 Murray 128-81 FOREIGN PATENTS 365,572 1932 Great Britain. 525,059 8/ 1940 Great Britain.

5 CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

